Lee Loader

Picked up a set of old Lyman 45 ACP die off eBay this week, lucked up an found a used set in not bad shape for basically $27 shipped which is what I probably pad for the exact same dies in 38/357 about 40 years ago.


They needed a little TLC so I took each die completely apart and cleaner every piece inside and out, I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.

Sweet buy !
I have a set of All American in the black paper box with the blue velvet liner . No SWC stem in my set but I may have a spare that will work .

They look new!

Ranch Dog wrote:They look new!

They were pretty dirty, has some minor surface rust on some areas and a few dings but it all cleaned up well after I gave them a good soaking in Kroils and used the buffing wheel and fine wire brush on the bench grinder.

It's going to be a rainy day around here in NC so I'll be out in the shop some today resizing a bunch of 45 ACP brass I shot up yesterday and we will see how they do.

The all Americans I have are marked 45 ACP/AR and have a moderate taper crimp that bottoms out in a roll crimp . As I understand it the dual crimp dies were dropped and are only available as one or the other now . It might be nice if we could track down the change via date stamps .

RBHarter wrote:The all Americans I have are marked 45 ACP/AR and have a moderate taper crimp that bottoms out in a roll crimp . As I understand it the dual crimp dies were dropped and are only available as one or the other now . It might be nice if we could track down the change via date stamps .

Where would one use a roll crimp in a 45ACP? I can only think of it for rounds in a revolver with a moon clip.

Auto Rim . It was developed for the 1917 and 1937 45 ACP revolvers having a heavy rim to take up the
headspace of the ACP and moon clips .

Macd wrote:

RBHarter wrote:The all Americans I have are marked 45 ACP/AR and have a moderate taper crimp that bottoms out in a roll crimp . As I understand it the dual crimp dies were dropped and are only available as one or the other now . It might be nice if we could track down the change via date stamps .

Where would one use a roll crimp in a 45ACP? I can only think of it for rounds in a revolver with a moon clip.

I had a practically new RCBS 45 ACP seat / crimp die that had the roll crimp. I was just using it as a dedicated bullet seater die for 45 ACP because it had the SWC stem for FN style bullets. When I got the Lyman set I gave it to a friend of mine that has several handguns that shoot the 45 ACP using moon clips. It will work much better for some of the bullet styles he like to use in those revolvers.

Thanks to both RB and 762. Nice to learn something new. My Uberi has two cylinders, 45 Colt and 45 ACP. The ACP cylinder has standard rimless chambers so no need for moon clips.

Macd wrote:Thanks to both RB and 762. Nice to learn something new. My Unerti has to cylinders, 45 Colt and 45 ACP. The ACP cylinder has standard rimless chambers so no need for moon clips.

They come both ways I have a Ruger New Model Blackhawk in 357 / 9 MM. The 9 MM cylinder headspaces on the case mouth as well and doesn't require moon clips.

The only downside is that cast lead bullets do shoot very well in the undersized 9 MM cylinder throats but it shoots plated or jacketed bullet as accurately as 38 or 357 mag. loads.